1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a stacked modular jack assembly, and particularly to a stacked LAN (Local Area Network) jack assembly having highly modularized electronic components.
2. Description of Related Art
It is quite common to use modular jacks for the data transmission in high speed applications such as IEEE 802.3 10Base-T or 100Base-T local area networks. A common problem to these high speed modular jacks is their tendency to emit high frequency radiation. There is also a need to provide means for suppressing undesirable noise.
Noise suppressors or signal conditioning components, such as common mode choke coils, are known in the art. The noise suppressors are mounted on a mother board on which the modular jack is seated. The noise suppressors are electrically connected with the modular jack by wires on the mother board. However, such signal conditioning components consume board real estate, which could otherwise be used for other circuitry. Furthermore, since the signal conditioning components are distant from the modular jack, the signal traces required to route the signals from the modular jack to the signal conditioning components degrade the signal integrity somewhat, thereby lowering the signal-to-noise ratio.
Stewart, headquartered in Glen Rock, Pennsylvania, posted an article, entitled xe2x80x9cMagJack Family of Modular Jacks with Integrated Magneticsxe2x80x9d on the Internet website address, http://www.stewartconnector.com/pdfs/magjkfy.pdf. This article introduces a series of magjack modular connectors each having integrated magnetic components housed within a jack body for protecting signals from internally and externally generated noise. Because the magnetic components are integrated into the jack itself, valuable board real estate is obviously saved.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,069,641, issued to Sakanmoto et al, discloses a modular jack assembly comprising a dielectric housing and a printed circuit board disposed within the housing. The printed circuit board contains noise suppressors. A common mode choke coil and a three-terminal capacitor arrangement is used as a typical noise suppressor. The printed circuit board is fitted with contactors and terminals respectively for contacting with a modular plug and mounting the modular jack assembly on a mother board. The contactors and the terminals are electrically connected with the noise suppressors by wires on the printed circuit board.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,587,884 and 5,647,767, both assigned to The Whitaker Corporation, each disclose a modular jack assembly comprising an insulating housing and an insert subassembly received in the housing. The insert subassembly includes front and rear insert members. The front insert member has contact terminals encapsulated therein for mating with a modular plug. The rear insert member has a printed circuit board and leads encapsulated therein. The printed circuit board contains signal conditioning components such as common mode choke coils. The leads extend downwardly for electrically connecting to external circuits, such as a mother board. The terminals and the leads are soldered to the printed circuit board and electrically connected with the signal conditioning components by wires on the printed circuit board.
Recently, in order to save valuable real estate of mother boards in electronic devices, modular jacks are developed to be arranged in a stacked manner. The stacked modular jack has upper and lower ports each receiving contacts therein for mating with a modular plug. When the stacked modular jack is used in high speed applications, a number of signal conditioning components needed for the upper and lower ports are respectively mounted onto internal printed circuit boards for suppressing noise, thereby achieving better signal transmission performance. However, it is complicated and time-consuming for respectively assembling the signal conditioning components to the corresponding printed circuit boards, thereby increasing the manufacturing cost.
Hence, a stacked modular jack assembly having highly modularized electric components is required to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a stacked modular jack assembly having highly modularized electronic components for simplifying assemblage, thereby saving the manufacturing cost.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a stacked modular jack assembly having electronic components which are highly modularized for being simultaneously assembled to different internal printed circuit boards.
In order to achieve the objects set forth, an electrical connector assembly in accordance with the present invention comprises an insulating housing and an electrical subassembly disposed within the housing. The electrical subassembly includes first and second printed circuit boards each having a plurality of contacts soldered thereon, a pair of magnetic modules respectively electrically connecting with the first and second contacts, and a metal plate sandwiched between the magnetic modules. The magnetic modules are joined together before they are respectively soldered to the first and second printed circuit boards.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.